urn:taro:utexas.cah.01898A Guide to the Frank Duncan Papers, 1907-1968Original EAD encoding by Laurel Rozema according to TARO 2 EAD 2002 Editing
Instructions. August 2010Finding aid written in English.
Descriptive Summary
Duncan, Frank, 1877-1970Duncan, Frank, Papers1907-1968Materials are written in English and Spanish.97-0697 ft., 10 in. Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at AustinThe Frank Duncan Papers, 1907-1968,
consist of correspondence, tax receipts, check books, bills, deeds, copyright
notices, mineral rights applications, photographs, publications, and other legal and
financial documents. The business correspondence, financial records, publications,
and legal documents concern Duncan’s attempts to purchase mineral rights through the
General Land Office; business relationships with mining companies, investors, and
other prospectors; production and sale of photographic postcards; and copyrighting
of his nature photographs through the Library of Congress. Furthermore, personal
correspondence details Duncan’s relationships with his daughter, friends,
girlfriends, colleagues, and other family members, and a few photographs depict the
people, communities, and natural resources of West Texas.
Biographical Note

Missouri-native Francis K. “Frank” Duncan (1877-1970) was a photographer, prospector,
and mining supervisor, who owned mineral rights in West Texas. Although he primarily
lived in Marfa, Presidio, and Terlingua, Texas, Duncan also lived or worked in
several areas of Mexico, British Columbia in Canada, Alaska, Missouri, Kansas,
Oregon, New Mexico, and numerous other states in the U.S. As a professional
photographer, he operated several studios, including the Duncan Photography Company
in Marfa, and was well known for his group portraits of ranchers and the military as
well as his landscapes of West Texas and Big Bend. Additionally, he was a member of
the Socialist Party of America, Photographs Association of America, Loyal Order of
Moose, and the Brotherhood of American Yeoman.

Duncan’s siblings include Hattie (Mrs. J. P. Bradley), Elias, Newt, Maude (Mrs.
Atkin), and Lula (Mrs. Vaughn) Duncan. He and his wife M. L. Duncan had one
daughter, Kathleen (Mrs. Menard), who helped her father in his photography business
and mining ventures.

Sources:

Frank Duncan Papers, 1907-1968, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University
of Texas at Austin.

Marfa Public Library. "The Photographer." Marfa Public Library. http://www.marfalibrary.org/photographer.cfm (accessed August 10,
2010).

Scope and Contents

The Frank Duncan Papers, 1907-1968, consist of correspondence, tax receipts, check
books, bills, deeds, copyright notices, mineral rights applications, photographs,
publications, and other legal and financial documents. The business correspondence,
financial records, publications, and legal documents concern Duncan’s attempts to
purchase mineral rights through the General Land Office; business relationships with
mining companies, investors, and other prospectors; production and sale of
photographic postcards; and copyrighting of his nature photographs through the
Library of Congress. Furthermore, personal correspondence details Duncan’s
relationships with his daughter, friends, girlfriends, colleagues, and other family
members, and a few photographs depict the people, communities, and natural resources
of West Texas.

Frank Duncan Papers, 1907-1968, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, The
University of Texas at Austin.

Processing Information

This collection contains unprocessed materials.

Basic processing and cataloging of this collection was supported with funds from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) for the Briscoe Center’s History Revealed: Bringing Collections to Light project, 2009-2011.